


You Got Mail

by velvetcat09



Category: Gintama
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Mail buddy, Soft Hijikata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-29
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26180260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetcat09/pseuds/velvetcat09
Summary: Hijikata heard the buzzing of an incoming mail from his phone.
Relationships: Hijikata Toshirou/Sakata Gintoki
Comments: 13
Kudos: 145





	You Got Mail

**Author's Note:**

> i couldnt sleep so i got up from bed to write this at 1:36 am, i finished at 2:54 am.

1:36 AM

That’s what the clock on his phone screen read when Hijikata heard the buzzing of an incoming mail from his phone. His first instinct was to be angry for whoever the hell that thought it was a good idea to disturb his sleep for a nuisance mail. But Hijikata wasn’t asleep, he had just finished his report and was smoking a bit before bedtime. So his mood as he reads the mail is somewhere on mild annoyance.

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject: Yo, I just got a phone_

_I hope you don’t mind this but is it okay if we become mail buddies? I got your number by typing it randomly._

Hijikata squints at the random message. The mail reeks of idiocy right away. Hijikata doesn’t reply to it. He chucks his phone at the corner of his room to charge and goes to sleep without a thought.

A day later, he receives another mail around the same time.

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_So either this number doesn’t exist or there’s nobody on the other line. I guess I’m just going to use this as personal word dump._

Hijikata bites into his cigarette, ultimately tearing the paper and spilling the tobacco all over his table. He almost sends an angry mail in response until he reads the following line from the anonymous sender.

_I met him again today._

The message ends with that one lonely sentence. Normally, Hijikata would still send the complain message and tell whoever it is to stop sending him unsolicited mails. But this is midnight and the anonymity of it has brought the romantic side of him out from his shell. This sappy side that gets curious over cliché stuff like this. The exact side that decides to not reply and let that other person dump all their messages on his number.

He might regret it later, he knows, but he’s curious.

Hijikata receives another mail three days later. Still the same time so he guesses the random person only dumps his stupid thoughtless mails around this time of the day. Understandable, midnight is when people tether on reality and dream after all, it’s when we all question our lives the most.

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_This is really pathetic, but I saw him smile today and I wished he was smiling at me._

Oi. Oi. This is overkill, oi. It’s only the third message and already _this_ sappy that makes Hijikata wants to cry. Shit. He has to stop himself for a moment before rereading the message. Yup, definitely, there’s no way he’s not rooting for whoever this person is now. That one sentence alone punches him right in the gut. Hang in there, buddy.

Fourth message he receives after he returns from work at the obon festival at the shrine. Police don’t rest even at big holidays. In fact, they work even more during those kinds of events. Nothing happened, of course, but that doesn’t mean Hijikata isn’t exhausted all the same. Work is still work and it’s tiresome.

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_Obon was great as usual, got enough money from working at the stalls, but just as I thought, the kids got to them before I could. I’m broke as usual, what was I thinking._

Random-san, that’s really sad. Hijikata sympathizes with the person. They got kids? Ah, single mother? Single father? Tough situations, he really sympathizes with them.

_Just when I thought I have money to treat him. I saw him at the Shrine. I’d honestly buy him some okonomiyaki._

Something feels like it just stabs Hijikata right in the chest and he lets out a single tear. Hijikata wipes it. Random-san, please hang in there. I believe in you.

It’s somewhere nearing autumn and just at the edge of summer when he receives another mail. Hijikata had almost forgotten about it entirely.

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_It rained the other day, I got home soaked because I gave my umbrella to him. I don’t know if he ended up using it, I just left it near him and ran home. Hope he didn’t catch a cold because I did, heh._

Hijikata stares at the message. It suddenly dawns on him, how this random person might not be so random after all. They live in Edo as well, they might not even be strangers on the street at all. Hijikata looks over the umbrella that’s already dried at the corner of his room.

The ‘him’ on Random-san’s messages, that’s _him_ , isn’t it?

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_I’m poor, I’m so piss poor. It isn’t like me to be bothered by something like this. I don’t care that I’m poor. But I sometimes wish I could afford those pretty bouquets to give to him. All I could afford is some random wildflowers picked on the ground. I don’t even fucking know if he likes flowers, there’s no way he likes flowers. Why the hell do I even want to give him flowers._

It was Labor Thanksgiving Day and Hijikata had gotten a handful amount of bouquets. Hijikata keeps none of them.

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_He looked cold today. The kids always warm their hands on mine, they say I’m like a furnace. I’d love to warm his hands._

Hijikata claps both of his hands around his neck, imagining if it is as warm as those other hands. They’re probably warmer.

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_I’m sick of fighting him. I didn’t mean to hurt him. I never meant it._

_From: (unknown number)_

_Subject:_

_When did this like turn into love._

Hijikata receives a pack of cigarette on his birthday. He looks at Gintoki who gives away nothing with that bored expression of his. Too bad, Hijikata already knows, and he appreciates the silver perm head for it.

“I don’t like flowers.” He starts, he can see the frown on Gintoki’s face. “But I don’t mind it if it’s from you.” Hijikata gives Gintoki his best smile.

_To: (unknown number)_

_Subject: Sorry if it took so long_

_I don’t mind being your mail buddy._


End file.
